Bicycles are becoming much more common and people are now purchasing bicycles which are relatively sophisticated with respect to their operation and the material from which they are made. Thus, the price of bicycles has increased and they have become an attractive target for thieves. A number of locking mechanisms have been proposed, including chains and cables, however these are easily defeated by using bolt cutters.
There is also a popular bicycle lock which has a cylindrical type base member in combination with a U-shaped capturing member which is releasably engageable with the lock. These locks are typically key operated and include a locking mechanism at one end of the base member. The locks have proven effective in deterring theft by means of bolt cutters, however, as with any locking device for protecting a valuable object, the thieves become creative and often uncover a system for breaking of such locks. It has been found, with locks of this type, such as those sold under the KRYPTONITE trademark, that the locks can be defeated by applying a cooling agent to the end of the lock including the locking mechanism and then applying a levered force to the locking mechanism by sliding a pipe over the projecting end of the lock mechanism and applying a large force to the pipe. The lock breaks in this area and the thief can then steal the article. The lock, in other respects, has been widely accepted and there are a host of locks of this type in existence and these locks are generally considered the best, widely available bicycle lock. On occasion, a cooling agent is used which makes a portion of the lock brittle, thereby reducing the force necessary for breaking the lock.